The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-11
THE PENITENT[ARY.
a BAD SHOWING ron col. PECK
In Regard to tho Punishment of conrlots.
Some severe Cases Testified To-The In.
vestiGn,lon Takes n Little Political
Turn-Prosecution About Ended.

The moot damaging testimony against
Col. Peck, Superintendent Of the Peniten-
tiary, was adduced in the aecret session Of
tho Legislative Investigating Committee
Wednesday afternoon, when number Of
tho conyicts were examined. The exatn.
inatlon was held with cloned door1 simply
Tor tho prrposo Of allowing tho convlcts to
testify without being embarrassed by the
presence Of tho Superintendent, or en-,
courased by anyone favorable to tho pros.
ecntion. Amos Boston, u convict, testi1od
that duting the punishment Of q reirAc.
tory prisoner Col; Peck stood by and
Ocemed TO enjoy 1t. He did not know Of
anybody who was severely whipped, He
said his own punlahment wan deserved,
but deemed the methods cruel. Ho would,
however, BAY this much in Col. Peck'a
favor, that the food they were served with
WAS nnch better than before he assumed
tho management Of the institution; that
the prison was neater and cleaner than
under Mr.. Vests management. Rs
VS.. Douglas who was confined on q
charge Of murder, said that he was treated
all right personally, except that he WAS
punished once alter making personal ap-
peal 10 tho Superintendent to BIO let olffor
IeaGon that al ho led the prayer meetings
OF tho cnnvictg 1t might destroy his intlu-
ence for good. He asserted that Col. Peck
stopped tlless prayer meetings and would
allow no religious worship except When
conducted by q regular minister OF the
gospel.
TitE WORST CASE.
Decidedly the most damaging case
against Col. Peck in regard to the charge
OF cruel punishment Tas that OF convict
John G. Roberts. This man had quite an
eventful history to relate and told bis
story with such minuteness and qua!ifica'
.iouB az to facts he was not absolutely Ger
tain about thu. he inspired the confidence
Of the committee, which was strengthen
Cd by Corroboratire testimony. T.
Roberta was sent to the Penitantiary
from Hinton for bigamy. Ito was born a,
Gibraltar, Spain, and Was educated q!
Eaton College, England. He WIS loco
motive engineer, and at tho timo OF his
conviction Of the crime for which he now
suffers imprisonment Wss employed on
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. lie
testified that no was whipped four
times and underwent punishment in
tho nhoo fly once. On June
1, 1856, he received severe whipping,
tho marks Of which no now carries, and
he showed to the committee tho ccara on
his person as the result. He said he beg.
ged for mercy, but it was not me.ed out
to him. The blood ran dows to his knees
and ciotted there, and his undergarmonts
were soaked with gore. He was formerly
employed in the engine room, but-was re-.
moved to tho whip factory. Before his
imprisonment he fell from his engine on
tho Chesapeake and Ohio road aud re.
ceived geYere injuries and also injured
his hand to that extent that. 10 ccEid not
perform the task set for hin, and 70!
which he was punished. Fer failure 10 por.
form his tssk be was in one day whippad
and put in the shoo-fy. He wa, Gnslly
excused from work by the prison physi.
clan on account OF his lsms' hand, but
many Of his privileges were taken away,
Ills cell was cleared Of reading matter, his
wi:s's letters and her picture, nothing be.
ing left but bis bed. This was corkobo.
rated by 7. ]. johnson, guard.
Tho police docket Of the PcIitentiary
failed to show the punishment OF Roberts.
Mr.. Wickham tho engineer OF the Peni.
Tertiary engine rooms also corroborsted
Roberts evidence, and adding that il
would have been better TO have put six
other convicts in the whip shop and kept
Roberts in the engine room where his liz.
tclligence aud experience were Of value to
the State. Whether the defense can offer
any paliatins evidence to Offset Roberts
testimony remains to be seen. s